Hercules and the Clan of the Crystal Skulls
by HappyDuelist
Summary: While Hercules and Iolus are enjoying themselves at a harvest festival a stranger approachs them asking for their help. But is she really telling the truth when she claims to be from the legendary Clan of the Crystal Skulls?


The Clan of the Crystal Skulls  
  
The harvest festival was in full swing when Hercules and Iolus arrived. They'd planned to have some time to relax here in Corinth, without having to face any monsters but those of overeating which the golden hunter tended to do at gatherings such as this. So Hercules had vowed to watch over his friend and try to steer him away from over doing it this time.   
  
The ruckus was overwhelming with people dancing all around listening to the hammer dulcimer player and his fellow musicians. There were a few singers singing some happy tune that Hercules couldn't recall the name of offhand. But what mattered to him was getting to the inn and arranging rooms to rest in and grabbing some freshly cooked food to quiet the inner beasts that ruled even the demigod's thoughts presently.  
  
A woman tried to dance off with Iolus and Hercules grabbed him by the shoulder and smiled at the woman, saying "Sorry, he's going to have to sit this one out."  
  
"Hercules!" Iolus whined at his tall friend, both of them seemed totally oblivious to the fact that they were being watched by a hooded figure who was standing beside the door to the armory. The figure watched with interest as the two friends made their way to the modest inn a few hundred feet away.  
  
"I know you want to have fun, but let's get ourselves set up with a room so if we get split up as we almost did there, we can regroup later." Hercules took a pause to laugh and saw Iolus was not in the mood. He assumed it was his friend's stomach that was to blame and so they kept walking towards their destination, all the while the figure kept them in view, following from a distance.  
  
"Its just that I want to know where you are or at least that we have a location to meet up at later of you decide to find some female distraction to celebrate the harvest with." Hercules winked and playfully jabbed at Iolus's arm. The golden hunter laughed sarcastically. He stopped to turn and look behind them a moment, "I might have already had a nice pretty female to celebrate with had you not decided to." Iolus's words gave way to silence and Hercules turned to see what had taken words from Iolus and saw he was gazing behind them.   
  
Hercules put his hand on his friend's shoulder and offered, "C'mon you can go see her later Iolus, let's get the room and discuss our plans for the next few days over dinner." Assuming it was the buxom blond that had made him lose his train of thought, he went to start walking again as they were almost at the inn. Iolus turned back around, saying as low as he could, "We've got company and I am not sure it's a good thing Hercules. Behind us and to the right."  
  
"She's been staring at us for awhile now. Though it's probably nothing Iolus. Let's go get something to drink I am parched," and Hercules opened the large door to the inn, gesturing to Iolus to go in first. As he held it for Iolus he looked back expecting to see some suspicious person who looked out of place, but there was nothing out of the ordinary for a harvest festival that he could see. His throat beckoned his attention and he went inside the small pub that the inn was attached to, just as a hooded figure came out from behind the wall of the inn.  
  
Inside was a loud crowd of folks all having a great time and getting quite drunk on the wine which easily flowed from the vineyards this time of year. Hercules and Iolus each had a complimentary mug of cider and then secured rooms for the night from the barkeeper. They had ordered their dinner, then sat at a nearby empty table. Iolus turned around, still somewhat spooked by the strange out of place figure he'd seen moments before outside and before Iolus could utter a word, the figure came swiftly over to them and stood beside their table.  
  
"May I join you?" a non-threatening female voice asked.  
  
Iolus looked at Hercules and Hercules looked at the hooded woman standing next to them before saying, "Can we help you?" His voice carried a slightly annoyed tone that the golden hunter knew all too well, so he piped up, "Yes, please sit down. You want something to drink?"  
  
The woman pulled back her hood, revealing a lovely face, with beautifully braided hair that seemed to go on forever. It poked out of her cloak, at her waist and she wore an unusual pink crystal skull necklace that rested over her heart. "No, I am afraid I cannot. My people are depending on me to find the great Greek heroes Hercules and his lion hearted friend Iolus. Tell me, are you Iolus?" Her bright green eyes pierced his heart immediately and with all the hairs raising on the back of his neck he knew this woman was either crazy or in serious trouble. It looked like their little recreational outing here was going to be ended before it began.  
  
Iolus nodded, glancing at Hercules. He looked like he was ready to roll his eyes and toss his lunch. It seemed like women were always throwing themselves at the two men. Sometimes they would playfully rate them on a scale of creativity of approaching them. But Iolus could tell this lady would sadly score rather low. Buxom women in revealing leather outfits was hard to be immune to, but when a man was hungry as they were from a long journey, why it could be Aphrodite herself in one of her skimpy revealing outfits and it wouldn't phase either of the two men.   
  
Despite his pleasure at referred to as lion hearted, he could see his friend was rather put off at being disturbed. Especially when they were gearing up for an evening meal that wasn't killed and cooked by their own hands. Because of her kindness he would at least let her finish what she was starting as she had made a point of finding them; he would make sure this stranger was at least heard. Hercules however seemed to find little to draw him into this exchange and he crossed his arms across his chest, waiting for her to go on. The noise was lessening in the inn's pub as the loudest group of men had gotten up and left. Now was just a small group of quiet farm hands off to the left and a couple totally engrossed in each other to the right.  
  
"I come seeking your help to regain control of some valuable artifacts my people have been entrusted with for centuries. Two of our Guardians have been kidnapped along with their wards. I apologize that I cannot elaborate further, but I am sworn not to speak of them outside of our lands. Having to come so far, I just, it's hard to speak of these things in a place such as this," she looked around uncomfortably and Hercules uncrossed his arms upon hearing there were artifacts involved, he leaned forward inquisitively.  
  
"Who are your people my lady?" He couldn't help but to ask and smiled as best he could. It never failed that there was some crisis somewhere that required their attention.  
  
"Forgive my rudeness Hercules, I am called Arda, Captain of the Temple Guard, of the Crystal Skulls of Meuria." Her voice had lowered and they both could barely hear her words, but upon hearing them they had to stop from laughing. The crystal skulls were a legend and not a very good one, but yet here was this woman who was wearing a small crystal skull around her ivory neck and seemed to be deadly serious about what she'd said.  
  
"Excuse me Arda, but no one believes in that old legend. Meuria was a story told to scare kids into not leaving their villages to pursue lives as sailors. Akin to the Legend of the Sirens who lure men to their deaths at sea, I find it hard to-" She smiled wryly at him as she swiftly held up one hand in front of his mouth and closed her eyes. Her other hand moving towards the pink skull about her throat.   
  
Iolus watched helplessly wondering what he should do as he saw his friend's eye focus far away from this little village pub table. Iolus was one for giving people credit but this was really strange. He recalled legends of the Ancient Island of Meuria and how the inhabitants were said to be cannibalistic, eating virgin sacrifices with the cycles of the moon, but everyone knew that was just a fairy tale, just as Hercules had mentioned.  
  
Hercules' mind filled with images of four different colored human sized skulls all housed in a large temple, just as the stories foretold. There were two men and two women who served as the guardians of these skulls. Hercules was shown an alter where a pink crystal skull, a sparkling clear crystal skull, a silvery Hematite skull and finally an intensely purple crystal skull all sat on elaborate bases.   
  
What he saw next made his skin crawl; a dark figure had made their way inside the temple and skillfully removed the purple skull of Healing and the silvery mirror-like skull of Prophecy. He left the pale pink rose quartz crystal skull of Love and the beautiful clear crystal skull of Communication. Hercules hissed with the recognition of his evil half brother, "Ares!"  
  
He breathed deeply and as his vision cleared, Iolus looked at them confused and it was then that they were served their dinners. "Arda, we will gladly help you," Hercules reached up and brought her palm softly to his lips, leaving a gentle sincere apologetic kiss there on her surprising soft hand.   
  
Before releasing her hand, gazing unblinking into her eyes, he uttered "I am really sorry that I thought you were not serious. It's just that I haven't thought of that old story for so many years and hearing you speak of it as fact made me want to laugh. I can see with Ares around there is definitely nothing to laugh at." Hercules held her gaze hoping his apology would be accepted and she nodded saying she understood, even telling them she'd expected them to need proof and that it was no problem.   
  
After she briefly shared this knowledge with Iolus through the same method of holding her pink skull in one hand and holding the other up before his face. She focused her thoughts to reveal the things she was unable to speak in words. It was obvious that her people really needed their help. She left them saying she had chartered a ship that would take them back to the island of Meuria and to meet her at the docks to launch in an hour, "The faster we get there the better it will be in the end for everyone involved."  
  
They enjoyed their meals in silence. But between the two men was a world of silent communication in which they spoke of the need to stop Ares and the mutual disappointment they felt at having to forgo another opportunity to have a good time and get some long over due rest to recharge themselves. The food was better then average and the cider was almost perfect, but the mood was sullen and serious. Far from the way either had pictured them spending the evening or let alone the next few weeks trying to outsmart Hercules's evil half brother Ares. When they had each finished off their entrées Hercules got up and squared up their tab and let the bar keeper know they would not need the rooms after all, but perhaps in a few weeks when they were back this way. The older man looked pleased to have had Hercules in his inn and had refunded the handful of dinars Hercules had given him for the rooms.  
  
The two men headed for the door and were just outside when a large group of village actors were making their way to the inn, presumably to secure a place to sleep for the night. They looked back longingly, and yet knowing that there was a ship a half-mile away waiting for them and a gorgeous red haired beauty that Iolus had enjoyed allowing access to his mind. It was not hard to admit he'd been dead before and brought back to adventure on at Hercules's side and that had to have been because there was so much evil left in the world that it was very important to give people their heroes to believe in.  
  
They walked in relative silence, familiar sounds of the partying that was in full swing were the only noises audible as the tow heroes walked still using their silent language which told each other that they were going to win and defeat Ares, no matter what. Ares was slick, but with both of them on the job there was sure to be a momentous reunion between sons of the King of the Gods. Their long journey was just beginning, but Hercules and Iolus were committed to go with Arda and find Ares. Once they found him then they would find out what he was up to and prevent him for succeeding no matter what it took. 


End file.
